Method of operating oil-engines.



E. HIGGINS.

METHOD OF OPERATING OIL ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED 1113.4, 1909.

Patented Mar. 15,

wvcmeooc o abhor 14%;

- to which it appertains arate from any mixture of air;

3 3 of Fig. 1.; and,

' chamber.

EUGENE HIGGINS, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

METHGLG OF OPERATING OIL-ENGINES.

Speciflcationof "Letters Patent. Application filed February 4, 1909. Serial No.

Patented I /tar. is, into. 475,995.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, EUGENE HIGGINS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Jackson, in the county of Jackson and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Operating Oil-Engines; and I- do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in the method of operating oil engines and more particularly engines using heavy hydrocarbon oils, which are not easily vaporized or converted into combustible gas, and its object is to provide a process which will enable anyone to successfully operate such engines. v

My improved method consists essentially of; first vaporizing the oil in a chamber sepnextflsupen heating this oil vapor to such temperature as will convert the same into a highly combustible gas and preferably above the ignition temperature, whereby it will immediately ignite when coming in contact with the air and in further minutely subdividing this highly heated "apor into numerous small jets whereby it is more intimately incorporated with the body of compressed air, as will more fully appear hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, of a device adapted to perform my improved process, whereby the said process will be better understood drawings Figure 1. is a longitudinal, vertical sec tion of an engine adapted to operate my said process; Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section-of the same on the line 22 of Fig. 1;; Fig. 3. a vertical sectional detail on the line Fig. at. an enlarged perspective of the vaporizing and superheating Like numbers refer the figures.

1 represents the cylinder; 2 the piston; 3 the combustion chamber; .9 the intake and 10 the exhaust of an internal combustion engine of any convenient construction; tis a vaporizing chamber within the combustion chamber'and spaced apart therefrom. At one-side of the chamber 4 is an inlet opening 5 to permit any suitable heavy oil, preferand illustrated, in which.

to like parts in all of her Within the com ably some hydrocarbon oil, such as kerosene to be injected into the vaporizing chamber by any convenient pump 6.

The forward end of this chamber is closed by a thick wall having numerous small passages or openings 7 theret-hrough for the escape of the oil vapor and also for the pur pose of superheating the same; these passages being of such length and diameter as to effectually superheat the vapor preferably to above the combustion temperature, and also to prevent the passage of compressed air or flame therethrough. rear of the vaporizing chamber for the purpose of preliminarily heating of the device in starting the engine, by application of a blow ,torch,.or other convenient means.

In operating this device, formed is as follows: The oil is periodically injected through the'opening 5 by means of the pump 6 and the heat of the walls of the chamber 4 immediately vaporizes this oil and creates sufficient pressure in said chain her to prevent the compressedair taken into the engine through the intake valve 9 from entering therein. The heat of the perforated front wall of this chamber is maintained by the combustion of the gases in the combustion chamber of the engine to such a temperature as to insure heating the oil vapor to a high degree in passing through the; small elongated openings there in. This temperature converts the vapor into a fixed gas of a highly combustible nature and also to raise the-temperature sufiici'ent so that when the small jets of hotgas escape from these openings, they will immediately inflame and burn with an intense, clear, blue flame, thus consuming the compressed air and highly heat-ed gases Without depositing any the' full effectiveness The intake 9 and exhaust 10 being opened in the usual way, tion are discharged and fresh air taken in and compressed in the combustion chamber preparatory to a reproduction of the operation. 4

What I claim is: r

1. The method of preparing a combustible mixture for operating oil en ines comprising compressing air only in thecombustion chamber of the engine, intermittently -injecting oil into a se arate vaporizing chamustion chamber of the engine and heated by the combustion therein,

carbon, or reducing 8 is a chamber at the the, process per- I of the "combustion.

the products of combos i.

superheeting the oil vapor above the tem- I discharging vapor so heated into the perature 1n 2 separate superheater and 011scompressed e11 121 numerous small jets andcharging the superheated oil into the comlieesmg the vaporizer and. superheetei? by 15 pressed air in numerous small jets. direct action of the combustion of the mi:-:-

v 2. The method of operating an. internal cure of superheated vapor and commeseed combustion engine comprising compressing air in Contact therewith. air 0111); Within the Working efiineier of the In testimony Wi'iereof ii m signature engine, intermittently injectiiig e veporizin presenoe of two Witnesses. able liquid fuel into :1 vaporizing chamber Within said cylinder, superheeting the vapor 'Vi of said fuel above the ignition tenmemture 11mm A. Eizcmmm,

'in' e superheater also in said cylin er, and .emms A. DWELI 1a. 

